US11047884B2ActiveUtilityPatentIndex 86

Current sensor

Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING COPriority: Apr 4, 2017Filed: Sep 18, 2019Granted: Jun 29, 2021

Est. expiryApr 4, 2037(~10.8 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority

Inventors:SHIMIZU YASUHIRO

G01R 33/0094G01R 19/0092G01R 15/205G01R 33/09G01R 33/091G01R 15/207G01R 15/202G01R 33/0029

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Claims

Abstract

A current sensor includes a conductor through which a current as a measurement target flows and two magnetic sensors. The conductor includes a first flow path, a second flow path adjacent to or in a vicinity of the first flow path in a width direction of the first flow path, and a first joining portion in which the first flow path and the second flow path merge with each other. The two magnetic sensors are provided side by side in a width direction and detect magnetic fields produced by currents that flow through the conductor. The conductor is provided with a first notch portion, in which a side edge in a farther side portion from the second flow path, of both of side edges of the first flow path in the width direction is notched.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified

What is claimed is:

1. A current sensor comprising:
a conductor through which a current as a measurement target flows and which includes a first flow path, a second flow path adjacent to or in a vicinity of the first flow path in a width direction of the first flow path, and a first joining portion in which the first flow path and the second flow path merge with each other; and
two magnetic sensors that detect magnetic fields produced by the current which flows through the conductor and are provided side by side in the width direction; wherein
the conductor includes a first notch portion, in which a side edge in a farther side portion from the second flow path, of both of side edges of the first flow path in the width direction is notched; and
a first magnetic sensor of the two magnetic sensors, which is located in a position closer to the first flow path than to the second flow path, is positioned in a vicinity of the side edge on an opposite side to the first notch portion in the first flow path.

2. The current sensor according to claim 1 , wherein a width of the first notch portion in the width direction of the first flow path is wider than an interval between the first and second flow paths in the width direction.

3. The current sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
the first notch portion is provided in a portion of a range in a longitudinal direction of the first flow path; and
at least a portion of the first magnetic sensor is positioned in a range in which the first notch portion is provided in the longitudinal direction of the first flow path.

4. The current sensor according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a magnet; wherein
at least a portion of the magnet is disposed outside of the range in which the first notch portion is provided in the longitudinal direction of the first flow path.

5. The current sensor according to claim 3 , wherein the first notch portion is positioned at a center or approximate center in the longitudinal direction of the first flow path.

6. The current sensor according to claim 3 , wherein a position of the first magnetic sensor in the longitudinal direction of the first flow path is a center or approximate center of the first notch portion.

7. The current sensor according to claim 3 , wherein a width of the first notch portion in the width direction of the first flow path is equal to or wider than a length of the first notch portion in the longitudinal direction of the first flow path.

8. The current sensor according to claim 3 , wherein, in the width direction, a width of the first flow path in a lateral side portion of the first notch portion is wider than a width of the first notch portion.

9. The current sensor according to claim 2 , wherein
the conductor includes a slit that extends along a longitudinal direction of the conductor between the first flow path and the second flow path; and
in the width direction, a width of the slit is narrower than the width of the first notch portion.

10. The current sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
the conductor includes a second notch portion, in which a side edge in a farther side portion from the first flow path, of both of side edges of the second flow path in the width direction is notched; and
a second magnetic sensor of the two magnetic sensors, which is located in a position closer to the second flow path than to the first flow path, is positioned in a vicinity of the side edge on an opposite side to the second notch portion in the second flow path.

11. The current sensor according to claim 10 , wherein the second notch portion is provided in a portion of a range in a longitudinal direction of the second flow path.

12. The current sensor according to claim 10 , wherein the first notch portion and the second notch portion are disposed side by side in the width direction.

13. The current sensor according to claim 10 , wherein
a slit is provided which extends along the longitudinal direction of the conductor between the first flow path and the second flow path; and
in the width direction, a width of the slit is narrower than respective widths of the first and second notch portions.

14. The current sensor according to claim 10 , wherein
the first magnetic sensor is located in a lateral side portion of the first notch portion in the first flow path and on one of both sides of the first flow path in a height direction that intersects a longitudinal direction of the conductor and the width direction; and
the second magnetic sensor is located in a lateral side portion of the second notch portion in the second flow path and on one of both sides of the second flow path in the height direction.

15. The current sensor according to claim 1 , wherein in sections that have a common orientation along the width direction, a maximum cross-sectional area of the first joining portion is larger than a sum of a maximum cross-sectional area of the first flow path and a maximum cross-sectional area of the second flow path.

16. The current sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
the first joining portion joins an entrance of the first flow path and an entrance of the second flow path to each other; and
the conductor includes a second joining portion that joins an exit of the first flow path and an exit of the second flow path to each other.

17. The current sensor according to claim 16 , wherein the first flow path and the second flow path are located in mutually different positions in a height direction, which intersects a longitudinal direction of the conductor and the width direction, between the first and second joining portions.

18. The current sensor according to claim 17 , wherein
the two magnetic sensors include MR elements that are provided on a substrate shared by the MR elements; and
the substrate is located between the first flow path and the second flow path in the height direction.

19. The current sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the first joining portion joins an entrance of the first flow path and an exit of the second flow path to each other.

20. The current sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the first flow path, the second flow path, and the first joining portion are provided on a same plane.

21. The current sensor according to claim 20 , wherein the two magnetic sensors are located in a region between the first and second flow paths on the same plane.

22. The current sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
the two magnetic sensors generate, as respective detection results, outputs whose changes of increase and decrease with respect to magnetic fields in a same or substantially a same direction have a same or substantially a same tendency as each other, and
the current sensor further includes an amplifier circuit that differentially amplifies the detection results of each of the magnetic sensors.

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